Senator Akaka hosting last committee hearing (the end of an era)

Civil Beat:
Sen. Dan Akaka has just opened what will likely be his final Indian Affairs Committee hearing before his retirement at the end of the year.

The subject today is “Reclaiming Our Image and Identity for the Next Seven Generations” and two flat-panel televisions were showing famous indigenous people like Duke Kahanamoku and NFL Quarterback Sam Bradford.

Our Hawaiian Senator
Senator Akaka always was an ambassador of aloha. He is a great man and a great Senator. I am so glad I campaigned for him and worked so hard for him. I'll always remember his courageous vote against going to war with Iraq, when so few stood up and spoke against that stupid unneccesary war. For our vets, for our kupuna, for our kids, for a thousand reasons, aloha no Senator Akaka, aloha pau'ole.

I'm choking up finding a photo to post for you folks here. People don't understand what we are losing with him stepping down.

From the right-leaning Hawaii Reporter:

"... A World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army, and then went on to become a public school teacher and principal, Akaka focused his efforts when in Congress on improving programs for Americans veterans and students.

First elected to the U.S. House in 1976, he was then appointed to the U.S. Senate following the death of U.S. Senator Spark Matsunaga.

Akaka, who is known as one of the kindest people in Hawaii politics, also spoke about the true meaning of Aloha. He brought several members of the audience to tears and led one native Hawaiian woman to spontaneously break into a native Hawaiian chant. At the end of his remarks, Hawaii Democratic Party Chair Dante Carpenter presented Akaka with a Hawaiian statue specially crafted for him.

While Akaka remained beloved by the public throughout his many decades in office, he did introduce controversial legislation entitled the Native Hawaiian Recognition Act, which he hoped would protect funding for native Hawaiian only programs."